{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/in-the-news/airports-in-morristown-fairfield-awarded-55-million-for-safety-upgrades", "Airports in Morristown, Fairfield awarded $5.5 million for safety upgrades", "2019-12-22", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Airports in Morristown, Fairfield awarded $5.5 million for safety upgrades \n\t\t\t\n Airports in Morristown, Fairfield awarded $5.5 million for safety upgrades \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\nFriday, November 22, 2019\n\t\n  \n    By:\n    William Westhoven\n\nMorristown Municipal Airport and Essex County Airport in Fairfield have been awarded a combined $5.5 million in federal funds for needed infrastructure and safety upgrades.\r\nThe Morristown airport, which sits in Hanover but is owned and operated as a Morristown Utility, will receive $2.5 million for runway safety improvements. Essex will get $3 million for runway rehabilitation.\r\nThe funds, announced Thursday by Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker and Rep. Mikie Sherrill, come from the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program.\r\nBoth airports are in Sherrill's 11th District.\r\n \r\nWhen I was in flight school, I learned the importance of a safe runway and landing approach, said Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot. Our airports in Essex and Morris counties are central hubs in the North Jersey transportation corridor, and this federal funding will improve critical infrastructure and increase safety.\r\n \r\nEarlier this year, Essex was awarded $144,900 to remove tree obstructions from the runway. Morristown was awarded a combined $7.7 million in federal funding for runway safety improvements in separate grants for $7,021,659 in May and $448,341 and $300,000 in June.\r\n \r\nThis federal funding will enable our local airports to make needed improvements to their aging infrastructure, enhance safety for the traveling public and ensure our state's continued economic competitiveness for years to come, Menendez said.\r\n \r\nBoth facilities are classified as general reliever airports, which accommodate slower, general-aviation aircraft and help to reduce volume at larger commercial airports.\r\nMorristown is rated as one of the busiest general reliever airports in the tri-state area, with facilities including a U.S. Customs office for international flights. President Donald Trump also frequently uses Morristown Airport, arriving there on a Boeing C-32, operating as Air Force One, for frequent summer weekend trips to Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/in-the-news/airports-in-morristown-fairfield-awarded-55-million-for-safety-upgrades"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.370624104514718, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}